Dec 29, 2021 · Ballpoint pens were so scarce that many people refilled pens with ink for reuse. It was high time for a pen vendor like Tho to pursue his dream of producing a madeinVietnam ballpoint pen at a small factory in District 6 of Ho Chi Minh City in 1981. Years later, despite the brand gaining popularity, not all shops in HCMC sold Vietnamese products.